Brought to you by My Little Pony.
Do you remember these friendship necklaces?
I do! I had many, shared them, kept half. Friendships as a kid are some kind of magic.
When I think back to my childhood, a lot of my memories are around the friendships I made. I had a girlfriend that lived a few blocks away, and almost every day we’d ride our bikes and meet halfway at the local park. We’d play make believe, chat, create, and have fun. Another beautiful friend I had was my next door neighbour. We grew up playing dolls, swimming in each other’s pools and playing in the dirt together.
I never wished for lots of friends or to be super popular, I wasn’t that kid. I just wished for a handful of good friendships, and that’s what I was lucky enough to have, and still have.
I met my best friend behind the school hall on the first day of high school. My primary school was a feeder school to the high school so a whole heap of us were together going into high school, but my best-friend-to-be had come from a different school and didn’t know hardly anyone. Our friendship was cemented on that day, and has had us create some fun, weird and wonderful memories together, even having our own children find friendships with each other. That’s pretty magical.
As a mum though, oh boy I can find anything to stress about… and I do worry about my girls making good friendships {while trying not to let them know I’m worried, of course!}. The road for one of my daughters has been a little bit bumpy in the friendship department, and I’ve tried to teach her what makes a good friend, and also how to be a good friend. This past year I’ve truly seen her blossom and meet a few people she likes to call her BFFs. It makes me so happy, because while friendships can be magic, but also a little bit bumpy. And we mums can always find something to worry about, right?
I want you to watch this video. Maybe go and grab some tissues first. I’ve watched it six times already, and cried EVERY time. Go ahead. Watch. I’ll wait for you.
Yesterday was International Friendship Day, and I think that video is such a beautiful take on friendship. I loved that it celebrated the friend that the children had become, and made me think about the friend that my own daughters have become. They are so kind, generous and loyal. They also bring in a fun sense of humour which I think any friend appreciates because who doesn’t love to laugh?
I’m going to be working with the lovely team at My Little Pony over the coming months to celebrate the magic of friendship, and a whole host of other really cool things. Stay tuned.
I want to hear about your friendships. What do you think makes a good friend? How did you meet your best friend?
That video is gorgeous. I hope every child in that experiment had a friend to speak about them. As a parent, I would have been so proud and so emotional hearing from a friend of my child about what they do right. Amazing. I worry about my Little Mister all the time. I just hope he grows up to be a good friend and have good friends. He had a rocky start in kindy (4 year olds – it’s compulsory over here and a part of mainstream schooling) but now in pre-primary he seems to be doing so much better. I feel a little thrill when he talks about his good friends and when I see these kids being so happy to see him. I think that friendship is about give and take. It’s about being there in the good times but more importantly, staying the course in the bad times. Sometimes we need to be lifted up and other times we need to lift our friends up. Being able to trust that someone is there no matter what is so important. I have learned a lot about who my ‘true’ best friends are in recent times and gosh, when I realised it was like an Oprah ‘aha!’ moment. I now treasure the right people and they treasure me – it feels wonderful x
It’s a minefield really, isn’t it? I know in life I’ve had to figure out who aren’t the right people for me, and it’s usually when I’ve been burned. I like to think I’m better at figuring it out now… but who knows. I hope your Oprah ‘AHA’ moments were good ones.
I think we’ll always worry about your kids. I’m glad your son is doing better. x
I met my best friend 18 years ago. We have been through so much together and I would be lost without his friendship. New relationships, broken relationships, 3 marriages, 1 divorce, cancer, kidney disease, surgeries, a pregnancy, career changes….the list goes on. We have only really had one huge barney in all that time, which resulted in us not talking for almost twelve months. We live in different states, but we are only a phone call away.
I recently resigned from my very stressful job and he was the first person I called. His first reaction was relief – my job was having an impact on my health resulting in a kidney disease due to stress and he had been advising me to quit for ages!
We have the same kind of humour and usually know what the other is say. He was the first person who met my now husband, before all my other family & friends. They are now great mates and know they can rely on ech other unconditionally. My husband & I are god parents to his 16 month old little boy, who is the most adorable thing on the planet!
I really would be lost without him. I love him to bits.
That’s so lovely. I thought it was going to be a female until you said ‘him’. I love that you’ve been through so much together, and got through that one fight. xx
My BFF gate crashed my 16th party a total stranger and well I’ll be 45 this year and we are still BFFs.
I love this story! ?
I met my best friend the first day of year 9. I switched high schools (got into a selective high school and decided to go) I was lucky enough to know a few of the kids there from primary school – was really good friends with a few of them.
So as awkward as it was being the new kid, I knew I had a few people I could talk to. They helped introduce me to their friends and I’m pretty sure I met Jas in my very first lesson of the day.
I made some good friends there and even strengthened a few others from earlier. But Jas was definitely my best friend and still is. Her family is my second family, her little girl is practically my niece. We have our santa photo together every year and now have her little girl join us. She was my maid of honour and I was hers. Really lucky that we live only 10 minutes away from each other, but because life has to be busy and hectic we don’t get to see each other as much as we would like, but we still know the other is there if needed and have great time when we do get to hang out.
My other best friend I met at uni (first degree). We had a good group of friends, but I was definitely closer to Katie than the others. Sadly the rest of the group has kind of faded, but me and Katie are still close, if not closer. Her two little girls are like nieces to me as well.
My health has kind of messed up my social life – I don’t work anymore so I don’t have the group of work friends that most people have. And I struggle to see people as much as I used to, but I’m lucky to have a small group of friends that includes Jas and Katie that I do still see, and that’s what is most important to me.
I guess life weeds out the friends that aren’t as special, they stop bothering, so you do too. I have to say, I’m glad for social media because I can still keep in touch with lots of my old friends and watch what they’re up to, but I think that it’s a bit sad as well, because for a lot of people that’s all they want or need.
I dunno.
I’m just super grateful for the friends who are in my life and that I know they will always be there.
I love this story, and how close you are with Kate and Jas. It sounds like they’re lucky to have you too. xxx
I love this story, and how close you are with Kate and Jas. It sounds like they’re lucky to have you too. xxx
Oh gosh, friendships lol ?. Ive never been lucky with friends. I was always that ‘odd kid out’. I had one friend all through primary school and into grade 8, until I moved. High school was just terrible lol. We lost contact until a few years ago. I tried to write a letter and see if she wanted to reconnect but nope 🙁 Since I had kids with special needs I’ve lost a lot of acquaintances since we just can’t get out like we used to. I guess I’ve been too tired to keep ‘chasing’ people as well. I will say I find it incredibly difficult with friends as I’m very shy, and suffer anxiety. I also worked out since the kids, I too present on the autism and ADHD scale! I will say my daughters OT has been teaching her friendship skills (she’s got asd and ADHD so finds the friend game particularly challenging), so I’ve been learning too ☺️ I’ve only got two ‘friends’ so hoping a best friend might come along one day ?☺️
I’m sure they will, and they’ll be worth the wait! xx
I’m sure they will, and they’ll be worth the wait! xx
MUM … who were the Educators who came up with the Parents/Best Friends school interviews? Your website left me breathless! Wonderful wonderful WONDERFUL!
Leave them kids alone!
They will figure it out.
It is called growing up.
Regards
D